Squeeze riveter



4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 'ATTORNEK kg 1 .NN

Oc t 23 1945. F. A. KAMAN SQUEEZE RIVETER Filed Aug. 17, 1942 Oct. 23, 194 5. F, A. KAMAN SQUEEZE RIVETER Filed Aug. 17, 1942 .4 Sheets-Sheet 4 MENNN ATTORNEY.

riveting tool:

"Patented Oct. 23, 1945 2,387,449 SQUEE ZE RIVETER Frank AuKaman, Aurora, Ill., assignor to hidependent Pneumatic Tool Company, Chicago,

111., a corporation of. Delaware Application August 17, 1942, Serial No. 455,083

2 Claims.

I'his invention relates to portable power operated riveting tools of the compression or squeeze riveter type for cold riveting operations as commonly employed in the airplane industry for drivingand clamping aluminum, Duralumin and like rivets.

The principal object and purpose of my inventionis to provide a riveting tool in which a single rivetinglever is employedto drive and set the rivets to increase both the efficiency of the tool andthe operator by avoiding the heavier and larger tools which embody the more complicated and expensive lever and t gle arrangements as heretofore.

A further object of my invention is to utilize the main or power cylinder of the tool to reciprocate the driving head forthe lever on its return stroke to avoid theneed for an auxiliary ,cylinder attached to the main cylinder for this purpose to add to theoverall length and weight .oi'the tool and to avoid the use of springs for the return, the compression of which deducts power iromthe power stroke of thetool.

Aflfurther object of my invention is "to provide a. tool construction in which diiferent riveting heads may be interchangeably used withthe tool casing and its power cylinder" and piston by replacing one riveting head containing its single rivetingjflever as a. unitby another to convert the tool for holdingin either of two positions with respect to the rivet being operated upon.

A furtheroblect of my invention is to provide an effective and emcient single lever squeeze riveterportable tool embodying the features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

1 In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my, improved Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevationtaken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 to show the control valve at therear end of the tool;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the tool with the mov- ,ableand fixed jaws in open position of the movable Jaw constituting the riveting lever;

Fig.4is a longitudinal sectional view of the complete tool with parts in elevation taken on linell of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the motor end of thetool with parts in elevation taken on line 5-.5 of Fig. 2;

FIE. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line ofFlgA; p y "Fig. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 4 to detail the fulcrum 55 mounting for the movable law; 3

the tool of the previous figures converted into one havinga yoke and a riveting plunger at its front end; a

Fig. 12 is a front view of theyoke supporting frame embodied in converted form; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view of said frame taken on line i3-l3 of Fig. 12. i

The tool illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10, comprises a support in the form of a cast aluminum housing or outer casing I shaped to provide a cylinder section 2 at the rear end of the tool and a forwardly extending hollow section 3 provid-. ing a chamber 4 at the front end of the tool, said chamber serving to accommodate and support the fixed andmovable jaws of the tool and the driving head for imparting the desired relative riveting movement'thereto.

The fixed jaw is marked 5 and the movable jaw is marked 6. The forward section 3is formed to provide laterally spaced side walls I, 8 integral with the cylinder section 2 and divided at the front end of the tool by a slot-like opening having interconnectedall per and lower portions 9 chored at its ends in the side wallsk'l, 8. The

outer end of the fixed jaw 5 beypnd"the front end of the housing I carries an anvil element I! as shown.

The movable jaw 8 is in the form of a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends in the housing section .3 on a fulcrum pin 13 extending between and anchored at its ends in the side walls 1, 8 as detailed in Fig. '7. Said lever B has its rivetingend portion 14 extending beyond the housin section 3 through the upper slot 9 and its actuating end portion l5 within the housing section 3 to the rear of the slot 9 as shown in Fig. 4.

The fixed jaw 5 is also held in place by the fulcrum pin l3, the fixed jaw at this point having an upwardly extending bifurcated portion l6 engazed by the pin l3 and embracing a depending intermediate portion lfl on the lever B at the fulcrum I I as shown in Fig. 4. Said depending portion I1 is provided with a rearwardly facing abutment I 8 against which acts a spring biased plunger l3 carried by the fixed jaw 5 to move the lever to its normal or open position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The lever 6 extends beyond the front end of the housing to substantially the same extent as the fixed jaw 5 and there carries a rivet set 20 for cooperation with the. anvil in a riveting operation.

The cylinder section 2 is fitted with a cylindrical bushing 2| to reciprocably mount a piston 22 having peripherial packings 23 to seal the piston against leakage from its opposite sides. This provides a. double acting piston for the power and return strokes of the driving head to be later described without the need for an auxiliary cylinder to increase the overall length of the tool and add weight as heretofore.

A piston rod 24 is rigidly connected to the piston 22 and extends therefrom into the chamher 4 through an openin 25 in the front header 26 for the cvlinder 2. The header 26 is cast integral with the hou ing and carries a bushing 26a in the opening 25 to slidably supp rt the rod 24 and seal the cylinder against leakage about the rod.

A rear header 21 preferably in the form of an aluminum casting provides a closure can for the rear end of the cvlinder 2 and its bushing 2|. Said cap mounts the control valve for the tool and has a flange 28 to seat both the cylinder 2 and its bushin 2| as shown in Fig. 4. The cap 21 is clamped to the cylinder 2 b a number of cap screws 29. the cylinder cas ng having bosses 30 to receive the screws as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The cap 21 is within the outside dimensions of the cylinder 2 to aid in reducing the overall width of the tool and permit the cylinder section 2 to be grasped and serve as a handle for the tool.

The driving head 3| is fixed to the outer end of the piston rod 24 on the same side of the fulcrum l3 as the actuating end I5 of the lever 6 and a stationary track-way 32 which the fixed Jaw 5 provides n the su port I for the driving head. The track-way 32 extends towards the fulcrum l3 in parallel relation to the straight line movement which the piston rod 24 has towards and from said fulcrum.

The'actuating end portion of the lever 6 has a cam surface 33 in opposition to the trackway 32 and in angular relation thereto in the normal or open position of the lever 6 as shown in Fig. 4. The driving head 3|, by rollers to be presently referred to, engages the cam surface 33 and thetrackway 32, respectively, being reciprocated therebetween by the piston rod 24. Hence, when the driving head 3| is moved away from the fulcrum 3 the lever 6 is swung about said fulcrum on its riveting stroke, that is, the rivet set 20 is moved towards the anvil |2. This will force the lever 6 against the rivet supported on the anvil to up-set and head the stem of the rivet and tightly' clamp together the plates through which the rivet extends. In this action, the driving head 3| moves the cam surface 33 outwardly from the track-way 32 and the power of the lever 6 is increased enormously as the cam surface approaches parallelism with the trackway. This follows from the lessening of the effective angle between the cam surface and the track-way as the cam surface is moved away accuse from the track-way and the outward travel 0 the point of contact of the riveting head with the lever. This multiplies the leverage exerted by the lever 6 0n the rivet and sumcient power is developed "to complete the riveting action in one stroke of the lever.

As will be noted from Fig. 4, the lever 6 at the start of its riveting stroke has its cam surface 33 at the greater angle to the track-way 32 and the driving head 3| is at its closest position to the fulcrum I3. Hence, in the movement of the driving head 3| away from the fulcrum, the initial swinging movement imparted to the lever 6 rapidly engages the riveting end of the lever with the rivet so that the remaining or following stroke of the lever may be considerably slower to set and clamp the rivet with increasing power as heretofore pointed out.

The fixed law 5 and the lever 6 are preferably made of steel to take the wear of the driving head 3| and support the pressure of the lever on the track-way 32. i The driving head 3| carries a pair of upper an lower rollers 34, 35 to facilitate the driving contact of the driving head with the cam surface 33 and the track-way 32, respectively. The rollers 34, 35 are also made of steel and are journaled at their ends between the side walls 36, 36 of the driving head 3|, the latter being in U-shape form to receive and mount the rollers. The trunnion ends'31, 31 of the rollers extend into elongated slots 38, 38 in the side walls 36, 3.6 and these slots are in right angular relation to the piston rod 24.

This allows for self adjustment of the rollers as a unit as the rollers travel along the cam surface 32 and the track-way 33 towards and from the fulcrum l3. Spacer plates 39, 39 engage the trunnion ends of the rollers 34, 35 to maintain them in unitary relation and out of contact with each other under the pressure of the riveting lever 6. The rollers 34, 35 may be held in place in the driving head by suitable fasteners engaging their trunnion ends. The structure just above described is detailed in Fig. 8, and it will be noted from this showing that the plates 39, 33

overlap the side portions of the cam and trackway surfaces, respectively, to maintain the driving head 3| from lateral displacement therefrom.

The valve mechanism heretofore referred to controls the supply of pressure fluid, such as compressed air, to the opposite ends of the cylinder 2 to reciprocate the piston therein. Said valve mechanism in the embodiment shown comprises a bushing 40 mounted within the cap casting 21 in crossing relation to the cylinder 2. A valve member 4| is slidably mounted in the bushing 46 and is normally urged by a spring 42 into the position shown in Fig. 2. Here, the valve member 4| has its actuating stem 43 projected to its fullest extent from the cap 21 and the actuating lever 44 has been rocked to its outermost position as shown in Fig. 2. This rotates the rod or shaft 45 to which the lever 44 is attached to the position holding the thumb piece 46 at the forward end'of the shaft 45 outward from the tool casing 3 as shown in Fig. 3. The shaft 45 is rotatably mounted in a bore made in the cylinder 2 and air hose attaching coupling 52 on the rear side of the cap. The port 50 connects with a passage 53 inythe cap 21 andwhich passage opens directlyinto the rear end ofthe cylinder 2. Hence, with the valve member 4| in the position shown thecylinder 2 to drive the piston 22 forwardly allowing the lever 6. to be moved to its normal or open position. The plunger |9 takes care of this movement, therollers. 94, 35 being moved forin Fig. 2, liveairis admitted into therear end of wardly towards the fulcrum l3 by the pressure fluid onthe rear side of the piston 22.

.Thedead air at the front end of the cylinder 1 i. 2 is exhausted through a port 54 in the front @header 26 and the connected passages 55, 56 in the cylinder 2 and the cap.2l, respectively, as

shown in Fig. 5. As shown in Fig. 6, a plurality of passages 56a, 56a in the cap 21 connects the passage 55 in the cylinder. 2 with the passage 56 inthe cap. The cap passage 56 is at one side of the bushing 40 and is connected by a cross passage 51 with a bushing port 58 which at this time is uncovered by the valve element 41 as shown in Fig. 2. This element 41 also uncovers a bushing port 59 which connects with the exhaust. cavlty ill formed within the cap 21 and connected to the atmosphere by the main exhaust port 6| as shown in Fig. 4.

, posite the thumb-piece 45. Now when this thumb- 'face 33 on the lever B.

piece is pressed inwardly, the valve member 4| is moved in the direction of its spring 42 comto the inner end of the bushing to close the pressing it and carrying the valve element 41 exhaust port 59 and open the port 58 to the main inletport 49. Now live air pressure enters the front end of the cylinder on the front side of the piston 22 through the cap passages 51 and 56 andthe cylinder passage and the front port 54. The piston 22 is now forced rearwardly to actuate the lever '6 on its riveting stroke. This carries the rollers 34, 35 away from the fulcrum l3 causing the upper roller 34 to act on the cam surface 33 to move the lever 6. The valve member 4| is now in the position shown in 10. It is to be pointed out in connection with the operation of the tool that the piston 22 is moved forwardly to open the jaws and is moved rearwardly to close the laws, the parts automatically coming to rest with the jaws in open position as soon as the operator releases the thumb-piece 46 following a riveting stroke of the lever. The spring returns the valve member 4| to its normal position and the plunger l9 returns the lever B to its open position and keep the lever in contact'with the driving head 3 I.

On a riveting stroke of the lever B, the rear side of the piston 22 exhausts through the passage 53," bushing port 50, bushing 40, bushing plunger '64 whereby the tool may be used to engage'rivets with the tool bodyheld in general alinement with the axis of the rivet instead of at right angles thereto. To so convert the tool, the

1 fixed and movable laws 5 and 6 are replaced by a yoke-frame and a cooperating single riveting lever 66. The yoke-frame '65 is of the right angular form shown in Fig. 13 and is mounted at the front end of the tool casing I with the lower horizontal section 61 of the yoke-frame secured in the lower slot I0 of the casing section 3 by the cross-bolt H in the same manner as the stationary jaw 5. The upright front portion 68 of the yoke-frame 65 is forward of the casing section 3 and the space therebetween isfilled by an adapter member 69 which takes the place of the guard 10 in the tool of the previous figures at the movable jaw 6 about the upper slot 9. The screws H, II which secure the guard 16 in place are replaced by longer screws 12 which secure the adapter 69 in place as shown in Fig. 11.

The upright portion 68 of the yoke-frame is provided with a slot 13 in which the base or rear end of the yoke 63 is secured by cross-bolts l4, 14, the yoke-frame section 68 having alined bolt holes 1'5 as shown in Figs. 12 and 13.

The single riveting lever 66 .in the converted construction is of the character shown in Fig. 11. The lever 66 is fulcrumed'at one enrl on the fulcrum pin l3, the upright portion 68 of the yokeframe 65 having alined openings 16 to mount the pin I3. The actuating end portion 11 of the lever 66 is on the same side of the fulcrum l3 as the driving head 3| and has a cam surface 18 to be engaged thereby, the same as the cam sur- It is to be understood that the driving head 3|, piston rod 24 and pston 22 are retained in the converted tool. The lower horizontal portion 6'! of the yoke-frame B has a track-way 19 for the driving head 3| the same as the track-way 32 in'the previous tool.

The upright portion 68 of the yoke frame 65 has a bore into which screws a bushing 8| which slidably mounts the plunger 64 in line with on its riveting stroke when the driving head 3| is moved away from the fulcrum i3 and to return the lever 66 to its normal position when the driving head 3| is moved towards the fulcrum. In the first action, the plunger 64 is projected forwardly to set and clamp the rivet between the yoke 63 and the outer endof the plunger, the power of the lever 66 increasing as its cam surface 18 approaches parallel with the track-way 19. On the return stroke of the driving head, the spring bias on the plunger 64 returns the lever 66 to its normal position and maintains said lever against the driving head.

The rollers 34, 35 on the driving head 3| may be mounted in anti-friction bearings and a similar mounting is provided for the riveting lever on its fulcrum pin 3 as shown.

The relief valve 88 for the power cylinder 2 is shown in Fig. 9. Here. the valve 88 is of the ball type normally closed by a spring 89 against a port 96 connected with the cap passage 51 which leads to the front end of the cylinder 2. The pressure of said spring on the valve 89 is adjustable by a screw plug 9| having an axial passage 92 connected to the atmosphere as shown in Fig. 9. The plug 9| may be kerfed on its outer end for engagement to adjust the tension of the spring 89. In this respect, the cylinder pressure for a riveting stroke of the riveting lever B or 86 may be set to that required for the character of rivet material being operated upon. The tool may beset for hard and soft rivets.

A screw cap 40a closes the bore in which the bushing 40 is located and this cap also provides a seat for the valve spring 42.

The tool structure shown and described embodies the salient feature of a single riveting lever. This simplifies the construction in the riveting action in that it provides for the direct application of the power of the lever to the rivet in the tool form, shown in Figs. 1 to and through a riveting plunger in the converted form shown in Figs. 11 to 13. In both forms the driving head acts directly on the lever and this provides for a tool of shorter length and less weight for ease in handling and balance. Moreover, this arrangement enables the cylinder section of the tool to be kept within a diameter for convenient grasping by the hand of the operator with the thumb of the operator extending towards the front end of the tool and within accessible range of the thumb piece 46 for operating the control valve.

Then also with the tool casing formed and open at its front end as herein disclosed the riveting heads of Figs. 1 to 10 and Figs. 11 to 13, respectively may be interchangeably used as replaceable units with the same casing and contained power cylinder, piston and control valve. In this respect, the jaws of the one form may be removed by taking out the holding pin II and its fulcrum l3 and be replaced by the yoke 63, yoke frame 88, lever 66 and adapter 69, the pins l I and I3 being again used to hold the'unit in place and provide the fulcrum for the lever. In this the riveting heads are interchangeable units enabling the tool to be converted into the one form or the other as herein disclosed. It is to be understood that different yokes may be applied to the .yokeframe for taking care of rivets of different lengths.

lever, means on the support for reciprocating said member, a driving head attached to said member and located between said cam surface and the track-way, roller elements and spacer means therefor fioatably mounted on the driving head for self-adjustment as a unit relatively thereto, said spacer means holding the roller elements in engagement with the cam surface and the track-way, respectively, and out of peripheral contact with each other, and means for holding the lever against its roller element on the driving head.

2. A portable power operated squeeze riveting tool comprising, a support, fixed and movable jaws mounted on the support for substantially co-planar relative movement, said movable jaw The details of construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

being in the form of a lever having angularly disposed arm portions and fulcrumed on the suppor'tthrough one of said arm portions, said fixed jaw including a track-way and an anvil on opposite sides of said fulcrum, said first-named arm portion having a rigid portion movable with the lever towards the anvil on the riveting stroke of the lever to engage and upset a rivet backed up by the anvil, a power actuated driving head between said cam surface and the track-way and movable towards and from the fulcrum of the lever, roller elements and spacer means therefor fioatably mounted on the driving head for movement as a unit relatively thereto, said spacer means holding the roller elements in engagement with cam surface and the track-way, respectively, and out of peripheral contact with eachother, and means for holding the lever against its roller element on the driving head in its movement towards and from the fulcrum.

FRANK A. KAMAN. 

